NTSB CHAIRMAN IDENTIFIES KEY PRACTICES TO REDUCE PIPELINE EXCAVATION ACCIDENTS

[NTSB Press Releases <NTSBPressReleases@xxxxxxxx>]

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                      NTSB PRESS RELEASE
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National Transportation Safety Board
Washington, DC 20594

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 7, 2007
SB-07-62

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NTSB CHAIRMAN IDENTIFIES KEY PRACTICES TO REDUCE PIPELINE 
EXCAVATION ACCIDENTS

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Las Vegas, Nevada - National Transportation Safety Board 
Chairman Mark V. Rosenker said that while pipeline and gas 
line excavation related accidents continue to occur, the 
Safety Board has identified three key components to reducing 
these types of accidents.

Addressing the Damage Prevention Conference in Las Vegas 
this week, an event focused on reducing accidents involving 
buried pipelines, gas lines and cables, Rosenker said 
improvements in practices with excavations and one-call 
notifications, along with faster damage reporting will all 
make major contributions to pipeline safety.

Applauding the effectiveness of the 811 national one-call 
number, which has been promoted as the National Call-Before-
You-Dig Number, Rosenker called for its continued promotion 
to encourage widespread use.  He noted that of the 49,000 
reported incidents of excavation damage to gas lines in 
2006, one-call centers were not contacted in more than half 
of them. "There is no excuse for not calling the one-call 
before digging," Rosenker said.

Rosenker also highlighted the progress made in reporting 
practices that emerged from the recommendations the NTSB 
made after its investigation of a 1998 gas line accident in 
Minnesota that killed 4 and injured 11.  There are now 
pipeline damage reporting best practices that advise 
excavators to immediately notify the pipeline operator if 
their work damages a pipeline, and to notify local 
authorities if the damage results in a release of natural 
gas or other hazardous substance. 

Rosenker concluded his remarks by talking about the 
challenges facing those involved in excavations in an 
environment made increasingly complex by a growing web of 
underground facilities.  "Today, there are more people, more 
homes, more schools, more businesses and more underground 
facilities. Nevertheless, excavation damage is preventable. 
We must be more vigilant than ever before."

The full text of Chairman Rosenker's speech is available at
http://www.ntsb.gov/speeches/rosenker/mvr071206.html

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NTSB Media Contact: Peter Knudson
(202) 314-6100
peter.knudson@xxxxxxxx

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